1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the tape head control art and more particularly to an improved tapehead control for an inexpensive automatic telephone answering and playback arrangement.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Automatic telephone answering and playback mechanisms are now widely utilized to allow first the playing of an outgoing message to the incoming caller and then the automatic recording of incoming messages. However, in many of the prior art single tape deck devices the messages were recorded sequentially on the tracks of a recirculating tape with the outgoing message repetitively recorded, so that it was played prior to recordation of each incoming call. This made it difficult for the play back of a particular incoming call message without listening to the repetitions of the outgoing message.
In still many other prior art devices the telephone answering and playback machines incorporated two separate recirculating tapes and tape heads. The outgoing message was recorded on one of the recirculating tapes and all incoming messages recorded on other recirculating tapes with separate tape heads, tape drives and associates equipment utilized for each tape. Automatic controls were utilized to control the separate tape heads so that the outgoing message recorded on the first tape was first played in response to each incoming call and then the incoming message recorded on the second tape. While such arrangements provided the ability to replay incoming recorded messages in sequence without the necessity of repetitively listening to the outgoing recorded message between each incoming message, the provision of two separate tape decks and associated controls added considerably to the cost of such machines.
Thus, there has long been a need for an automatic telephone answering and playback arrangement utilizing a single multi-track tape on which the outgoing message is recorded and first played to each caller and then the tape head automatically sequenced to the record mode and to the next available track for recording the incoming message. This allows rapid and convenient playback capability without the necessity of listening to the outgoing recorded message between each incoming message and reduces the cost of the machine by eliminating one complete tape deck therefrom.